


Reignite

by Hephy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Future Fic, M/M, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-28 15:31:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7646722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hephy/pseuds/Hephy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance never thought his loneliness could bring him closer to someone.</p><p>That was before Keith.</p><p>OR</p><p>After escaping a Galra fleet and crash landing on a planet Lance does his best to take care of an injured Keith while they wait for rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> I almost didn't post this. It almost remained hidden away from the world in my folder with all those other works I've never posted. I probably should have done more with it and/or worked more on it but it's too late now. Normally I chop scenes out completely, rewrite them, or even re-order them. Not here. What you get here is an unabridged look at my writing. I'm not sure if that's good or bad so I'll let you decide.
> 
> Part II is written but I'll try to put more time and effort into it's editing/revising before it goes up.
> 
> All errors are my own. If you see any let me know! I am an imperfect being. Always learning!

Reignite

Part I

The distant sobbing of the generator was a balm for his sanity. Wiring the rusted heap so it even ran was a nightmare Lance didn’t want to repeat. Ever. Repair was more Hunk’s forte than his, and while he had learned the basics some years ago the wiring process was still plagued by his lack of time and the severity of the situation.

The generator was limping along and he didn’t have the luxury of optimism. He expected the worst and did his best to prepare despite his lack of wiggle room.

His hands were steadier than he expected, though still trembling from adrenaline and anxiety. They hadn't stopped moving, hadn't stopped _working,_ since they crashed here.

And _here_ was exactly in the center of I-Don’t-Wanna-Be-Here, Nowhere. Blue was pumping out a distress signal to the Green, Yellow, and Black lions.

So far there hadn’t been a response, but Lance knew he’d need to gather his patience. That in and of itself was a challenge. Blue may have been fine but Red looked terrible and had entered stasis. Earlier Lance felt the anxiety of his own lion as she anguished at her inability to help. Suspended in the massive tree, wrapped in vines, and wedged between half fractured branches, she was precariously close to sending the entire structure toppling. She could not move for fear of hurting her Paladins.

And Keith, for all his instincts and hot-headed combative tendencies in battle, had not been much of a match for an entire Galra fleet when taken by surprise. It had been an ambush - and Keith was unprepared.

Lance was closest to his position at the time. Lucky thing, too, because even a second later may have meant Keith’s life. That was the stuff that got the blood pumping whether he wanted it or not.

And poor Red. She was in bad shape. Blue had begun purring in his mind, comforting him and sending images and emotions into what felt like his very soul. It soothed his concern a little, because at first he’d thought Red was gone from them.

Then there was Keith, unconscious and reclined between Lance’s legs, who wasn’t as well off as his lion. Lance bent around and forward over Keith to bite the line that he’d used to stitch a nasty gash closed. The line clicked much like taut fishing wire did when snipped. He pressed a scrap of torn undershirt to the area to pat away the blood. It was a messy stitch job but it may have saved Keith’s life.

A gurgling from behind snapped Lance’s hands away from Keith’s wounds and to the thick cables on either side of them. He pulled the stripped wires together and made the necessary connection that brought the particle barrier springing to life. It created a localized dome over himself and Keith, and the gangly tree-creature was left to scratch helplessly against the shield. It’s yellowed teeth bared and Lance found his own teeth displayed in response. His brow was drawn tight, sweat running down his dirt-smudged face, and he focused all his exhaustion and pain into holding the taut, heavy cables.

“Trust me, I don’t like me being here either.”

The creature spat and snarled, eyes red and yellow like a crazed beast. It’s four legs were each adorned with two long claws and its whip-like tail ended in something reminiscent of a scorpion’s stinger. Lance watched it sway as though it craved the kill.

His response was to lift his foot and slam the heel of his boot onto a large button. It activated the grid and with a crackle it sparked to life. The creature yelped as it was shocked. It tried to run - to jump - but it’s body betrayed it as volts of electricity caused it to seize. It twisted and tumbled as it screeched.

Lance felt sorry for it but didn’t relent even as its flesh began to smoke.

These creatures were relentless. One after another they kept coming back. They scratched at the particle barrier, hissed and growled, and fled when zapped only to repeat the process some minutes later.

Lance was drained of mercy. This one would be an example.

When it finally stopped screaming and it’s body ceased its struggle, he turned off the grid and let his tired, shaking arms drop the weighty cables. The barrier fell and he tried to catch his breath. Stretching the cables to their limit so they would connect was more of a workout than Lance desired. Now he knew what they were missing in their training regiment.

The creature was dead, and the smell of its burnt body was a nauseating stench. Lance swallowed against the rising sensation of bile.

In the last shadows of the night he could see the glare of eyes around him. His hands twitched against the cables and his arms begged for mercy as his aching muscles brought the wires together again to raise the shield.

Half a dozen of the creatures trotted around the little dome, glancing at him in caution as they approached the corpse of their kin.

Lance watched as they fought over it for a brief moment before deciding to share. In minutes they had cannibalized the remains, bones crunching and splintering between their teeth, and scurried off while their purple tongues slithered around their snouts collecting blood.

Lance’s arms dropped and he slumped. The barrier fell.

He was so tired he wanted to sob. But there was no time. He returned to his work and finally, _finally_ finished cleaning and wrapping Keith’s wounds. His final task was discharging the shot of antibiotics into Keith’s shoulder. It hissed as the syringe automatically depressed slowly.

Lance swallowed, his throat dry and sore, and became aware of the sharp sting at the back of his head. He reached up and felt the swollen knot and had to think for a moment before he placed the cause of damage. He’d been banged around during the crash. His helmet had been knocked loose.

That’s right. Something had broken in the cockpit and struck him. He was lucky he hadn’t been rendered unconscious like Keith.

Lance cast his attention downward. Keith looked like a teen again, which made Lance huff a fond laugh.

“Feels like a lifetime has passed since then.”

The lines of Keith’s face had matured. He was still beautiful, as Lance always called him, but that attractiveness that he once found grating was now a face he sought camaraderie in.

He could picture Keith’s smile and hear his laugh. It brought a bittersweet sensation to his chest.

His watch lit up and beeped, distracting him from his memories, and he brought his wrist around to see the reminder on the display.

Today was Keith’s 30th birthday on Earth.

He laughed, a thick chugging sound that was like striking a drum, and kept laughing until he was hunched over Keith and holding him in his arms and tears were dripping off his face.

Keith was cold despite the muggy air and it felt good against his overheated skin. He held him as tight as he dared.

“Happy birthday, man.” He sniffed, “Sorry I can’t take you somewhere nice for it.”

He turned his face to press a kiss to Keith’s temple. His breath caught when Keith groaned and began shifting.

“Easy, easy,” he kept his voice soft, “you’re injured.”

“Lance?”

“Yeah, I’m right here. Try not to move too much.”

“ _Ow_.” It was a wheeze.

“I know.”

“My _ribs_.”

“They’re pretty wracked up, man. Pretty sure they’re cracked.”

Keith’s breathing stuttered.

“Small breaths.”

“Oh… f-fuh… ngh.”

“Thattaboy.”

“This is - _awful_.” Keith’s shallow gasp had Lance helping him adjust.

“You have fresh stitches so be careful about twisting or straining.”

“Where are we?”

The scrunched face spoke volumes of Keith’s pain. Lance didn’t know how to answer him. He wished he could provide good news but there was little.

“Well… we’re on a planet with a breathable atmosphere so that’s something. We crashed after Allura opened the portal for us to escape, but she had to close it before the Galra followed us. Sooooo in a nutshell…”

“Fuh-huck-ked.” Keith grunted and resigned himself to stillness.

“You got it.” Lance gathered Keith’s hair and pushed it away from his face. Strands were sticky with sweat and blood and peeled away from skin that was too pale.

Keith forced a thin sigh through his clenched teeth, “Could be… ah-ow... worse.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I c-could… ah…” He hissed and tensed, “I could need t-to… pee.”

Lance smiled and cushioned his face against Keith’s messy hair. At least his sense of humor wasn’t damaged.

Keith looked up, “Oh…” Above them wrapped in hundreds of vines with mouth gaping open was Blue. Her massive jaws were spread as though she were frozen in time a moment before consuming both of them.

“A very atmospheric canopy, although a little unnerving.”

“She okay?”

“Mostly. She is very, very much stuck though.”

Keith let his eyes roam over the splintered tree and how Blue’s body was seemingly molded into the massive structure. He saw her eyes flash and heard a purring inside his head that he knew was from the mental bridge with Lance. It was automatic to let Lance in - they had bridged their minds so many thousands of times over the years it felt like first nature.

He could feel Blue comforting Lance and when she sensed his presence her efforts expanded to include him. His rising concern for Red was put to rest as Blue laced sensations and memories of the crash through his mind. Red was in stasis, and though she required repairs she would be fine so long as left alone until help arrived. It was a relief knowing she wasn’t far below them wrapped in more vines than Blue and essentially cradled. Then the memory of Lance climbing down the tree to pull him from Red’s cockpit hit him. He’d been hauled up to their current location but not without difficulty.

Keith interlaced his aching fingers with Lance’s and breathed his thanks.The air was heavy on the breeze and the easy sway and creak of the tightly bound branches beneath them was more relaxing than nerve wracking. It was a spacious platform created by someone who knew what they were doing architecturally.

Lance pressed his lips to Keith’s temple and smiled when his affectionate gesture was leaned into.

“What’s, um… all the metal for?”

“It’s a cheap electric grid. I hooked it up to a generator I found here because we had some critters that were pretty interested in eating us.”

“You f-found a generator?” Keith’s brow creased.

“Yeah. Pretty weird. It’s a bit old though. Surprised I got it running. I found the metal grids and put them in a circle around us. The things on this planet that go bump in the night didn’t care for getting shocked. Imagine that.”

Keith’s next inhale stuttered.

“You alright?”

“I…” Keith seemed to choke and his fingers clamped around Lance’s, “I hurt _everywhere_. Lance - I… I can’t… stand it.”

Lance swallowed and wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of Keith’s eyes.

“Yeah. Okay, okay. Try and relax. Focus on me. Drift with me. Alright?”

Keith felt the mental caress of Lance’s consciousness. It mingled with his and their thoughts synced. The pain lessened as Lance shared Keith’s burden.

A great sigh rushed from Keith and he emitted a murmur of gratitude.

Lance was familiar with the all-over hurt as it seeped throughout the receptors in his brain. He felt like his ribs were cracked in a dozen places and his knuckles ripped raw. His entire spine felt jarred and ached like he’d been bludgeoned with a baseball bat. It took him back to their early days when he’d shielded Coran and took the brunt of an explosion. His entire body had begged for relief but he’d been too weak to do anything. He remembered having no choice but to endure the agony, as it was an inescapable pain.

Keith’s mental presence wavered and Lance registered the sympathy. He sent out a wave of apology for allowing his thoughts to dwell on his past pain when Keith was clearly in need of something more positive.

Lance pictured puppies and kittens in his mind and felt the amused and grateful emotion bursting in response. The pain was tolerable when halved.

“You… ah… remember when we were kids? When we… fought all the time?”

Lance smiled, “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“You were such an ass.”

Lance chuckled, “Guilty.”

“I, um… used to get so mad I wanted to murder you. But then I kissed you instead. I remember not knowing what else to do with my anger. I just wanted you to shut up.”

“I’d never been more glad to be a thorn in someone’s ass.”

Keith smiled, “We made out a lot.”

“We did.”

“I really liked that.”

“Me, too.”

“Took us forever to move past kissing and handjobs.”

“We were teens. In space. Away from home. We didn’t know what we were doing.”

“It was fun to figure out with you. I remember when I turned 21 you took me to one of the other rooms on the ship so no one would find us.”

“You were nervous about being found out.”

“Nervous? I was terrified.”

They shared a chuckle.

“But yeah. You never made fun of me for that. Never when it came to kissing or sex. For all the aggravation you caused me I trusted you completely when it came to that.”

Lance tucked long dark hair behind Keith’s ear.

Keith sighed, happy, “You made me feel safe. And every time you kissed me it was never empty. Never hurried or rushed. Always with purpose.”

Lance felt pride at the words. He loved kissing Keith. He remembered it as an addiction. He knew many of his thoughts were naked while they were bridged but he had nothing to hide. Not from Keith.

There was a shift in their mental connection as Keith’s emotions branched away from Lance’s happy thoughts. He tried to pursue the thoughts to discover what was wrong. Before he could prod, to mentally seep his concern in and around Keith’s consciousness, the answer came in the form of a question.

“When was the last time we kissed?”

Lance couldn’t remember. Their sexual encounters had grown fewer through the years as their urges lessened and they adapted to their lives as Paladins.

“I… don’t know.”

“I think it was.... your 28th birthday. I gave you-”

“That kiss on the training deck.” It flooded back to Lance.

“You completely lost focus.”

“Cost us both the match.”

“Worth it.” They said in unison.

Keith reached up and formed his palm to the side of Lance’s face, “I miss it.”

“Kissing?”

He nodded, “And the sex. I miss all of it. Just… the intimacy in general.” He sighed again, but this time it was a depressing sound.

“I do, too.”

“Why did we stop?”

Lance caught the slight crack in Keith’s voice. Once again he was without answer.

“I don’t know.”

“I’ve been so…”

“Lonely?” He felt it like a blade to his gut.

“...yeah.”

Lance harbored guilt at that. He swallowed and pressed his cheek to Keith’s head. He didn’t know what to say to make the pain go away. He could feel it hanging in the air - both physical and emotional.

“This last year I thought you might just be done with me.”

The shock of the statement caused a bolt to shoot through Lance. He’d been unable to place the feeling of sadness that permeated Keith’s side of their connection, but now that words had been provided he understood the emotion thoroughly.

“No.” He squeezed a little too hard, “No. That’s not true. I never saw it like that. Alright? You were and are more than that. You’re… we’re… we’re Paladins. We’re bonded, right? You and me? Us?”

Tears were welling at the corners of Keith’s eyes as he nodded, smiling.

Lance experienced the emotional swell from Keith that came with finally being understood. There was too much pain bearing down on them and Lance refused to deny his desire any longer.

He tilted Keith’s chin up and kissed him. It was awkward and messy and slicked with fresh tears that made everything a little too salty, but it was still passionate.

Midway through, Lance broke away upon signs of distress from Keith.

“Sorry. You alright?”

Keith licked his lips and nodded, “Just hurts. But I don’t want you to stop.”

Lance huffed and kissed his cheek, “You dork. Tell you what, we get out of this mess and get you healed up I’ll give you all the kisses you can handle.”

More tears spilled, “Deal.”

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

 

The tree creatures were nocturnal. As the sun rose so did the bustle of the planet. Lance had never seen so many birds in his life.

The platform was aged and weathered. The lack of upkeep proved the place had been vacant for some time.

Lance moved Keith to a shaded area and set a blanket out for him while he dug through their emergency supplies. He found enough food to keep Keith going. All the blood loss and injuries would leave him famished.

He maintained the mental bridge with Keith and hoarded a little more of his pain where he could. It was a bitch, but knowing Keith would experience it otherwise made him more than willing to take as much as he could handle. Without the distraction, Keith would be able to focus on healing.

“Okay, I’ve got some nutrient bars and bagged water. Not much for a buffet but it should keep us going for a few days.” Lance sat beside him and set out two cups and a sheet of mostly straight metal he’d arranged the bars on as though he were serving a patron at a restaurant.

“No wine? Where’s my fancy napkin? And the complimentary breadsticks?”

Lance chuckled and leaned over, “Clearly I’ve rubbed off on you. Come ‘ere.” He cupped the side of Keith’s face and guided their lips together. It was a hungry kiss and they both inhaled as their heads tilted to fit their mouths together. The flutter of excitement that brushed against Lance’s mind spurred him to deepen his efforts and he delved his tongue into the overeager heat of Keith’s mouth. The needy whine it caused sent a shudder of power through him and his nails raked against Keith's scalp as his fingers closed in a fist to grip that thick, ink black hair.

Keith was willingly helpless against the dominating kiss and when it ended he moaned his disappointment.

Lance pressed their foreheads together, “I know, but you need to eat. You’re cold and your complexion is scaring me. And I can feel how hungry you are.”

“Stop doing that.”

“No.”

“You can’t just take all of it.” Keith was referring to Lance hoarding the burden of pain.

“I can try.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“I need you to focus on healing. You can’t do that as well if you’re suffering constantly. Besides, my pain tolerance is higher.”

“Oh for…” Keith sighed, irritated, “keep it then.”

Lance chuckled, “Alright. Eat up. Mwah.” He pecked him on the forehead and pushed a cup of water into his hands.

Keith didn’t realize how ravenous he was until he took his first bite of the nutrient dense bar.

Lance did his best to fix up the generator before nightfall but he was no Hunk or Pidge. Still, he was able to reroute the cables, providing slack, and wrap the bare wires together so the barrier could be on as long and often as they needed.

The new setup was finished before nightfall, which said something because days on the planet were shorter than they were accustomed to. Lance climbed to Blue’s cockpit to gather more supplies and tell her to sleep well. On his return he spared a few moments to view the landscape. The setting sun ignited a brilliant display across miles of trees. He sent the emotion through the bridge to Keith and felt a powerful sort of appreciation and gratitude in response. He knew from the rawness behind the feelings Keith was asleep and unable to filter his emotions.

It was his favorite time to share the bridge with Keith, because for how bright his emotions could burn some days while he was conscious, they were twice as potent unfettered.

Lance touched down on the platform as quiet as possible and activated the barrier, which was now larger in diameter to allow some movement. He unfolded the second blanket he’d recovered and draped it over Keith before stretching out beside him.

His head was killing him but he managed to stay positive by noting how the nasty headache he was developing was so awful it was distracting him from all the other discomforts.

Hopefully his fellow Paladins were safe and able to come for them soon. Keith needed medical attention - more than Lance was capable of giving him on their limited supplies.

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

 

Keith woke to the first beams of light and let the recent events spill to the front of his mind.

He didn’t hurt much, but looking to his side at Lance revealed why. Even while sleeping they were able to maintain their mental connection. But it was Lance who had the ability to take his pain while unconscious. He still wasn’t sure how he’d mastered that.

There was a tightness to Lance’s brow, which suggested a headache.

Keith turned onto his side and felt the barest ache of his ribs and pull of stitches. He scooted, careful and gradual, over to Lance until he could rest his head on his shoulder.

The contact eased his tension which in turn lessened the pain.

Lance was warm. It was like curling into a dune of sand on a sun-baked beach.

And he stayed like that until the flutterings of Lance waking warbled in his mind. Initial distress and a bludgeon of pain registered in Keith and he flinched.

“Augh.” Lance hissed, “Jaysus- _fuck_. Wasn’t ready. Sorry.” The transition from asleep to conscious was brief. He was quick to leash the pain and drag it back to his side of their bridge.

Keith reached up and covered Lance’s eyes, “You’re sensitive to light. Probably your head injury. I can help - you don’t have to hide all your pain and carry most of mine, too.”

“It’s fine. I just need to wake up more and I’ll be good to go.”

“Alright, you need to _stop_. People think I’m stubborn-”

“You are.”

Keith pushed himself to his elbows with a huff and it strained his ribs, “So are _you_.”

There was the tiniest bump of amusement that was stark among Keith’s anger but it was gone in a second and replaced with something that, if put into words, would have sounded like a, ‘Shit-fuck - oh fuck. I shouldn’t have smiled.’

“You think it’s _funny_ that I’m mad?”

“No - no!” Lance couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s not… no. It’s not funny that I made you mad. I’m sorry.”

“Then why are you smiling?”

“Because of your face.”

The ice was thin beneath Lance.

“Something wrong with my face?”

Lance’s wiggle of humor was feeling ever smaller beneath Keith’s growing irritation. He couldn’t explain it in words (quick enough) so he let his emotions drift into Keith.

Keith’s screwed tight brow relaxed as a warm sensation overtook him from the inside. It felt like a pulse of heat started at his center and spread to every corner of his being. It did it again and again like ocean waves lapping against a beach until he felt like putty. Within the warmth he found fondness paired with amusement. It was amusement at his expression, he realized, and not the anger behind it. Lance had laughed because Keith’s face spurred _attraction_ , which had been unexpected. The resulting startle was something Lance found humorous.

Keith eased himself onto Lance once more, cheek coming to rest over a steady heartbeat. He let the raw emotion ebb and flow through him as he tried to chase down every detail.

And what he returned from those depths with was the knowledge that Lance _cared_ too much about him to be defensive. Lance found beauty even in Keith’s anger. It was years of camaraderie that landed them here where something that could ignite frustration in others instead spurred happiness.

His anger was familiar, and familiarity was comforting.

Keith felt the prickle of tears forming and turned his face into Lance’s shirt. He couldn’t regulate the surge of happiness paired with the inescapable homesickness that was not his own eating away at him. The divide between the emotions left him feeling like he were being torn apart. His shoulders shook and jerked as he began to sob. Lance curled against him, embracing him and reaching out across their bridge to sympathize. There was never the reassurance of a future of normalcy or a return home. No feeling of _it’ll be okay_ . Just a silent but powerful message that said, _You’re not alone. I am here_ . _We’re in this together. Until the end._

And that was enough to bring Keith’s tears to a stop.

Lance sifted his fingers through Keith’s hair, “Do you know how many years it’s been since we first found Blue?”

Keith sniffed, “H-half our lives ago.”

There was a thrum of energy that echoed between them, symmetrical and chronic.

This war couldn’t last forever.

And as Lance let his eyes roam the contours of Keith’s face he remembered their early days as Paladins. They were men now and many of their teenage quirks had been left behind, but when he stopped to look he could still recognize them as the boys they used to be.

Within Keith he’d found a lonely soul that matched his own. While their upbringing could be exemplified in a psychology class about social contrasts their _spirits_ were still kindred, as loneliness was not a sentient thing capable of discrimination.

Keith’s hand moved to rest over Lance’s chest and he shifted closer. His consciousness swelled against Lance’s in an expression of gratitude and a warm comfort that felt like love.

And the loneliness of Lance’s memories was edged out in favor of appreciating his fellow Paladin and the mental serenity their bond furnished.

He wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders and turned his nose into thick hair until his lips were pressed in a firm kiss to a cool forehead. His emotions mirrored and twined with Keith’s until there was nothing but a sensation of love that was so powerful it caused a near unbearable _ache_.

The pain didn’t matter as they twisted into a messy, breathy mashing of lips. Through the tangle of cracked ribs and bruised bones Keith’s consciousness found the coherency to press a question.

‘ _What if this is our last kiss_?’

Lance’s passion escalated and his response went crashing into Keith like a sledge.

‘ _Then I will have saved the greatest for last_.’

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

8.1.16


	2. Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s funny that the thing about this story I’m the most proud of is the T rating. All my other works so far are explicit due to sexual content. I guess I can write something other than smut. Rock on.

 

Reignite

 

Part II

 

Two days passed. Keith had been on his feet assisting with minor tasks until he developed a fever. It crippled him and left a draining weakness. He was robbed of his strength and confined to his blanket in the shade.

Lance had given him the last of their water from Blue’s emergency kit. There hadn’t been any rain, though collection bags had been put in place, and a brief survey of the land below didn’t reveal any immediate sources of water.

Keith felt Lance’s concern. Their situation wasn’t optimistic.

Lance spent that night awake monitoring the progression of Keith’s fever. The cool air of the night helped keep them comfortable, but as the sun rose the following morning Keith was showing signs of dehydration.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was rough.

Lance frowned, “It’s not your fault.”

There wasn’t any energy left to discuss it. Keith closed his eyes.

“I’m going to climb down to Red to get the other emergency supplies. It can double our time. By then they should have found us.”

Keith managed the barest incline of his head. He was too weak to argue, too thirsty to say no to water, and too concerned for Lance’s health to let him go without any longer.

“Be careful.”

“I will. I’m turning the barrier on while I’m gone. Try and get some sleep.”

Lance had plenty of vines to use for climbing purposes. The giant tree wove and branched off in so many places it was like descending a vertical labyrinth. It took time to get safely to Red. He felt even worse for her than before upon seeing how her limbs were twisted further thanks to gravity. She was wrapped and cocooned in so many vines it looked like she was wearing a straight jacket of vegetation. Her jaw was dislocated on one side and while it was a terrible circumstance it did provide Lance access to her cockpit.

The interior was mostly intact, but brown markings showed where Keith’s blood had smeared when Lance severed the safety harness that had both saved his life and cracked his ribs. The gash had come from Keith’s own bayard, which he’d activated in a moment of confusion and fear after the crash. The bayard itself was on the floor and Lance slid to the far side of the cockpit carefully to retrieve it.

The slanted floor kept him cautious, patient, and he managed to retrieve the bayard and the box of supplies without incident.

He patted Red’s console before starting his climb with the supplies strapped to his back.

It took him much longer to climb than it did to descend, but he wasn’t complaining. His initial climb with an unconscious Keith in tow, gash bound so tight it had probably cut off some circulation, had been a frenzied race against time. Now he at least had breathing room.

When it was over and he’d made it to the platform he was panting and feeling the effects of dehydration. He took a few seconds to tear open one of the water pouches and drink as he shut off the barrier.

His boots on the platform woke Keith and soon weary eyes were on him. There was a smile.

“I made it.” Lance knelt and aided Keith in sitting up for a drink. The back of his tattered suit was soaked in sweat and it was no surprise when Keith drained the rest of the bagged water. As he swallowed the last of it he broke away panting.

“Water never tasted so good, huh?”

Keith made a weak sound of agreement.

“You are soaked.” He scrunched the black hair bunched at the nape of Keith’s neck. It was wet. He was losing water too quickly.

“I feel disgusting.”

“Yeah. I can relate.” Lance eased him back down and began peeling off his own suit to reveal his damp undershirt that was clinging to his skin.

Keith smiled despite his discomfort.

“Hey,” Lance smirked, “I see you checking me out.”

“If this ends up being my last source of entertainment I’m going to enjoy it.”

“Fair enough.” Lance lifted his arms and peeled the shirt away, “Like what you see, beautiful?”

The smile stretching made the cheesy line worth it.

Keith’s chuckle had little to no air behind it, “You used to say shit like that all the time.”

“Miss it?”

“Not a bit.”

“Also fair.”

“Your headache worse again? You’re squinting.”

“Yeah, but I’ll be alright.” Lance pushed back Keith’s damp bangs, “I’m more worried about this fever of yours not breaking.”

“It’s not so bad with you helping. I guess you were right. You shouldering my pain has helped me deal with my dilemma of sweating my balls off.”

It was Lance’s turn to smile wider.

They exchanged chatter until Keith admitted to himself he needed to pee but lacked the confidence to stand.

Lance helped him with his dilemma.

Keith’s brow furrowed, “This is weird.”

“Peeing over the edge of a platform into the mysterious beyond of trees?”

“No, you holding my dick for me during.”

“I’ve had my hands on you how many times and it wasn’t weird? But because you’re pissing it suddenly is?”

“That’s different.”

“Would it help if I try and write your name?”

Keith laughed - and then immediately regretted it when they both flinched and hissed. The gash on his side was growing tender from lack of proper care.

“Let’s get you settled again.” Lance helped him back into his pants and over to their designated rest area.

“Isn’t there anything in the kit that can help?”

“Just another antibiotic shot. Coran said we weren’t supposed to double dose on these.”

“He did?”

“Yeah. It was during that med class they made us take way back when.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Was years ago.”

“How do you remember that?” Keith groaned, “Now my head hurts.”

Lance sighed, “You’d think a painkiller or something would be standard with these things.”

“Sorry.”

“I wasn’t complaining. Remember - not your fault.”

“I know. I just… feel like I’m dead weight.”

It was depressing to hear so Lance reclined beside him on the blanket and slipped his hand into Keith’s.

“We’ve all been there at one point. And I gotta say, it’s about damn time you took your turn.”

Keith’s face contorted into one of mild disgust.

“What’s with the face?”

“That’s the hand you touched my penis with. It’s now your dirty penis hand.”

Lance spared their interlocked hands a glance, “That’s something 16-year-old me would say.”

“I’ve had a rough couple days.”

“I’ll cut you some slack.”

“Thanks.” It was said with a smile.

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

 

It was late in the evening when Blue’s eyes illuminated and she rumbled. The sound vibrated the tree and rattled the massive palm-like leaves.

Lance was awake a split second before Keith and on his feet in an instant staring up into the intense gaze crafted of magic and machinery.

Blue’s distress signal had been picked up. Someone was on their way.

Lance turned at the first sensation of nausea and realized Keith was  _ worse _ . He looked like a hollowed out version of himself and Lance did all he could to pull the misery from him but found he couldn’t take enough to bring any life back to those cheeks.

Now Lance felt like he was going to puke. He had to sit down.

Below them the sound of Red emerging from stasis and joining Blue in a celebratory growl had the entire platform rattling.

“Keith, you hear that? You hear them? We’ve been heard. Blue says the others are on their way. Could be any minute now.”

Keith was trembling but was happy. His consciousness brushed in gentle waves against Lance’s. And it was all Lance could do to choke back the sensation of rising vomit as he tried to take all of the burden. There was so much of it. He held his stomach, thankful his headache had lessened otherwise he may have been heaving. The pain was overwhelming and felt like an endless void sucking everything out of him and into a funnel.

He curled over as he absorbed more of Keith’s discomfort. It was debilitating. The nausea, the ache in his ribs, the inflamed gash, the stench and discomfort of days without a shower, and the dull reminder of his headache were a collective force of misery. His entire being felt weaker - body, mind, and soul.

And Keith could barely stay awake let alone paw at Lance, which he was currently attempting and failing.

There was a loud roaring in Lance’s ears that he didn’t understand, like a thundering train rolling through the center of his skull. It grew louder and louder until finally - a moment of clarity and silence arrived.

Keith’s fingers founds his and slipped between them. It was the anchor Lance needed to ground himself and combat the drain on his person.

There was a whisper of a feeling in his chest. It radiated a sense of reassurance, as though chanting,  _ It’s alright now _ .

And Lance realized Keith was dying.

“Keith! Keith!” Lance held the cold face in his hands, “Keith, look at me! Don’t you give up yet - we’re so close.”

A weak tremble of apology shivered through Lance and he chased after it.

“Apology  _ not _ accepted! You get back here and  _ listen _ because I didn’t haul your ass all the way up here, stitch you shut and baby you just to have you give up and die right before we’re rescued! Do you hear me?”

Keith was limp but not gone and Lance’s eyes were  _ burning _ from tears barely held at bay by his combined anger and panic.

He grit his jaw and hesitated a moment. He didn’t want to hurt Keith, but he needed him to keep fighting. With a sigh he released the pain he was carrying and let it flood back. The dam broke.

Keith’s body performed a partial jackknife and he gasped and stuttered. The pain cutting through him was the worst jolt of his life.

“That’s it, buddy. You’re awake now, aren’t you? Yeah. Stay with me. Enjoy that adrenaline.”

“Y-you…” Keith gasped again, grappling with every part of himself that felt on fire.

“Call me whatever names you need to.” Lance kissed his forehead, “Just don’t die.”

The trees above them rippled as a gust kicked up. Lance looked skyward and saw the familiar gleam of Green.

“It’s Pidge. Pidge is here.” Lance turned back and pressed his forehead to Keith’s and through their bridge took back the pain he’d loosed.

“You’re gonna make it. You’re gonna make it, Keith. Just hang on a little longer.” The words breathed fight into Keith, Lance could feel it rising within him, and when Pidge hovered her lion near the platform Lance already had Keith in his arms.

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

 

Lance spent the better part of an Earth day in a healing pod. Keith’s journey wasn’t as easy. Four days passed and concern started budding. Coran tried to reassure him that Keith’s healing would take time due to an infection.

It was the infection, a fast replicating foreign bacteria, that had almost killed him. So much for the antibiotic.

Lance spent most of his down time near Keith. He read to him even though he probably couldn’t be heard.

Pidge stopped by to bring him dinner and reiterate the fact they were all worried, which Lance thanked her for.

Hunk found a few minutes here and there to visit when he wasn’t working on Red. His efforts were appreciated and Lance was more than aware of the long hours his buddy had already worked. He’d occasionally checked on him through the ship’s surveillance system. Pidge had been there, too, to help with the more tedious aspects of the process. The two of them made a heck of a repair team.

Shiro, like any good leader, told Lance they appreciated his efforts and sacrifices. He was thanked very formally but Shiro pulled him in and hugged him not a moment later. Lance didn’t realize how much he needed the contact until he had it.

Allura was accommodating and sympathetic to Lance’s distress but also wise to ask what they could do to prepare for situations like theirs in the future. Lance suggested better medical kits, and then spent half a day planning with Coran how they’d implement it. 

Lance had a greater sense of appreciation for his team by the end of the fifth day. Color returned to Keith’s face, which was the first positive sign they’d seen.

Happy to see results, Lance stood with a tablet in hand and read aloud a book of poetry. He wasn’t the best at it, not always knowing where to pause or add emphasis, and there were a number of words he wasn’t familiar with, but he did his best. Because he knew Keith had a silent love for poetry.

He read the entire book before he sat and leaned against the pod.

“I’m really worried about ya, man. I hope everything is going well in there and you heal up soon. Starting to get lonely out here without you.”

“That’s a little insulting.”

Lance looked up to see Shiro entering with a gentle smile.

“Yeah, well… he’s Keith. There really isn’t a substitute for any of you, either.”

“I’ll have to agree. Mind if I join you for a bit?” He gestured to the area beside Lance.

“Come on down. Plenty of space castle floor for everyone.”

Shiro sat cross legged beside him, “You’ve been in here a lot. Coran says you read.”

“Yeah. It’s a good way to pass the time. I know he’s in stasis and can’t hear me, but… heh… Now I realize it’s more for my own benefit.”

Shiro studied him and saw the sadness and ache in his eyes. Sometimes there was nothing that could be done. They had to wait it out.

“What do you read to him?”

“Today was poetry. I read a couple novels to him before. Mostly classic stuff.”

“I never pegged you for a classics kind of guy. Unless it’s music, of course.”

Lance smiled, “I’m not. But he is.” He looked up at the pod and his smile was tinged with sadness.

“Well I’m learning all kinds of things today.”

“You know, he also likes easy jazz. I always thought his music and literature choices were strange because he’s always been so blazing fast and determined in battle. You’d think he’d like rock or something harder edged. But instead he likes soft things. Cute things, even. Give him a kitten and watch him defuse, I swear. It’d be comical if it weren’t so endearing.” Lance laughed softly, “And I guess that’s the most amusing part of all.”

_ Endearing _ . Shiro smiled.

“You do that to him, you know.”

Lance met Shiro’s eyes, “Do what?”

“Defuse him. Sometimes it’s just your presence. Other times it’s what you say. He trusts you more than anyone else here.”

“Hah. Pretty funny when you think about it. We used to bicker all the time. Drove each other up walls.”

“Yeah, but you’re adults now. You each have your own personalities but we’re a good team. Keith is fire and while he’s a fierce, powerful ally and I wouldn’t trade him for the universe, he is also vulnerable because of his gifts. I’m glad you’ve balanced him out.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know - fire and ice. That whole thing. You keep him grounded.”

“I… do?”

Now Shiro seemed confused, “I thought that was your thing.”

“I wasn’t aware I had a thing like that. I just talk to him like anyone does when they care about someone. I mean, I suppose a lot of that is silent communication and not everyone can do the mind reading and pain sharing thing but-”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“You said pain… sharing?”

“Yeah, you know, when you’re injured and use the mental connection to split the pain between the two of you?”

Shiro’s brows couldn’t have been more jammed together.

“You’ve never done that with Hunk or Pidge or even Keith?”

“I can honestly say no.”

“That’s weird. I’m always splitting pain with Keith when we’re in combat. I just assumed we all did that, what with the links to our lions and each other.”

“I…” Shiro shook his head, “Lance, I can’t link with any of you without headgear, my lion’s help, or when we’re forming Voltron.”

“You can’t? I thought that’s what all the meditating was for?”

“That’s just for overall health, what you’re pitching is something that sounds pretty uncommon. How long have you two been able to do this?”

Lance had to think, “Maybe since we were… 18?”

“That’s over a decade. How has this not come up before now?”

“Ah, um…” Lance had to fumble here. He couldn’t tell Shiro they used their bridge as a means to keep their sexual activities secret.

“I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Saved.

“But we should really ask Coran or Allura what they know about it. Maybe the rest of us could develop the same ability. That would be one heck of an advantage in combat. Pain sharing.”

Lance looked up when he heard footsteps and saw Coran entering.

“You two should be getting your rest.”

“Sleep has been pretty elusive lately.” Lance stood with Shiro.

“I imagine so. All the worrying you’ve been doing is going to age you. Careful or we’ll have to start calling you old man Lance.”

“Coran,” Shiro interjected, “can you tell us anything about the bond between Paladins allowing them to share pain?”

Coran’s eyes brightened, “I can tell you it’s a sacred art! In fact, while the Paladins of old were very capable of syncing their minds they could not ration their pain until years and years later. It’s such a rare little trick it has only been known to be performed by two groups of people. The first primarily being the masters of the art. You know, the old prophets and mystics. But the second group is comprised of individuals who have a bond so close they bypass the years of training and dedicated practice and instinctively know how to do it.”

“That’s amazing.” Shiro perked, “So in theory if I was close enough to someone I could implement those skills?”

“In theory, yes.”

“Do you think the five of us could reach that level with each other without waiting years to hone our abilities?”

“Ah, well, I would have to say it’s unlikely. The only beings we knew of who could do so without the training were lovers. To be any less would raise substantial barriers, I imagine.”

Lance felt all the blood leave his face.

“Huh?” Shiro’s expression was a hybrid of fascination and confusion, “Lance said he’s been able to share pain with Keith since they were teens.”

Coran was calm as his eyes turned to Lance and examined him.

Lance knew he was nervous because he was rubbing the back of his head and his eye contact was intermittent. He was afraid. Not for himself, but for Keith.

“Lance? Are you alright?” Shiro put a hand on his shoulder.

Lance had discussed this moment with Keith at least a hundred times. They knew it was coming. He just wished Keith wasn’t out of commision because he really needed backup.

“Yeah. I’m… fine. It’s just…” He looked up, his face a weak smile he knew portrayed mountains of fear and anxiety and exactly zero happiness.

He didn’t fear being hated or rejected by his team because he knew they were open-minded, but essentially stripping himself bare before them was not something he was fond of.

“Ah, man, I-uh… this really isn’t how either of us wanted to come out.” Lance swallowed.

“...  _ Oh _ .” Shiro’s hand on his shoulder wavered a moment - a split second that started a spike of emotional pain in Lance - but it gripped in the next instant and yanked him into a hug so tight it was hard to breathe.

“ _ Ack _ .” Lance wheezed and when Shiro’s grip lessened to something gentle he was able to return the embrace and soak in the ‘cradling’ effect all of Shiro’s hugs had.

On a different occasion the hug would have lingered too long, but Lance craved the contact and could almost taste the energy and emotion Shiro was radiating.

“I’m so glad.” The words were whispered past Lance’s ear but he heard them clearly.

“Glad we’re out?”

“Glad he has you.”

And if Lance was a stranger to Keith’s emotions, past, and personality he wouldn’t have understood. But there was one person he did know better than he even knew himself and that was Keith.

Lance squeezed him tight, “Me, too.”

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

 

Lance woke up.

It was abrupt.

He was alert.

Very alert.

And his mind was a whirlwind of one prevailing thought.

_ Keith _ .

He left his room in his thin shirt and pajama pants and jogged through the dim halls with the illuminated baseboards guiding him.

He could feel Keith’s presence mentally. It was the barest tremor of unconscious thought and it was searching for something to latch onto. The distance between them felt like lightyears and Lance was panting by the time he burst into the bright room and saw the healing pod with Keith still in it.

He approached and watched, waited, and caught his breath.

But even as his pulse dropped to normal Keith remained motionless.

“Keith?” Lance touched the front of the pod. He felt like a helpless puppy waiting for his person to come home.

There was a stillness in the air that was not abnormal during their resting hours.

Was he going crazy? Had he even felt Keith’s consciousness or was his mind so accustomed to the presence it was playing tricks on him?

But again there was a shudder against his thoughts that begged to be recognized. It felt like Keith but there wasn’t any rationality to it.

There was only an increasing emotion of what he could now identify as anger. It felt hot and it was swelling and festering. It was a frustrated, desperate rage.

And it ignited all the things in Lance he tried to avoid. Fear. Worry. Heartache. Worthlessness.

His body was shaking. He felt like he was burning up from the inside.

There was a rumbling and for a moment Lance was convinced it was in his head. But the ship startled rattling and he realized  _ he _ wasn’t shaking. The entire ship was.

There was a chorus of faint roaring and he recognized it as Red, which was joined by Blue a moment later.

Red lights began flashing around him as emergency protocols went into effect. The healing pod began beeping and there was a whirl of emotion in Lance that was not his own. It was given birth from the anger and exploded in a vicious surge that translated as three venom-dipped words.

_ Let. Me. Out. _

The pod discharged air and deactivated.

Keith’s eyes flew open, he gasped, and the burning anger inside Lance was vanquished.

“Keith!”

Legs weak and rubbery, Keith sought purchase as he collapsed against Lance.

The roaring of lions stopped and the floor stilled but the ship’s beeping and blaring continued.

Lance sank to his knees and hugged Keith, who was a limp doll in his arms. He pulled back and supported a full-again face to touch their foreheads together.

“You scared the living hell outta me!”

Keith groaned and performed what Lance assumed was an attempted nuzzle. Despite his poor coordination it was obvious he was already regaining his faculties and mobility.

Lance smiled and shuddered loose a laugh of relief, “I - wh-you were  _ so  _ angry.”

No explanation arrived but Keith used his returning strength to wrap his arms around Lance’s neck and hold himself close.

There was a murmur of emotion that crossed their bridge and planted itself in Lance. It was happiness and it was content and concerned with nothing save the moment.

Lance could only surrender and agree that the now they were sharing was more important than any explanations or understandings. He curled and wrapped Keith in an encompassing embrace and didn’t let go.

The energy he felt whirling inside himself could only be compared to the excitement of flying with Blue. But even that was something different. Keith knew him in mind and body - straight to his soul and now to the very edge of death and back.

And to think that eternal, unending darkness and agony he’d tried to fend off was a countdown. His arms tightened. He never wanted to feel that slip of life again.

“You read to me.”

Lance opened his eyes and noticed the weight of tears in them ready to break. He burrowed deeper into their embrace and held firmer as Keith continued.

“Every day you were here. I could feel you.  _ Hear _ you. I wanted to let you know but I… couldn’t do anything. I was paralyzed.”

“You were awake?”

Keith considered the words before he replied, “It was more of a haze. Like a dream you can only half remember fading in and out of. But I do remember it. I remember thinking that… you should have been resting or eating instead of worrying about me.”

“I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it, Keith.”

Keith emitted a quiet, pleased sound as he softly squeezed Lance, “Thank you. For reading. For talking to me. For being here. For saving me.” His hands curled over Lance’s shoulders from behind and clung to him.

That was the scene Coran and Allura arrived to, followed by Shiro.

“What is going on here? Your lions were going berserk!” Allura stepped forward and tapped on the healing pod to settle the alarm. Coran went to the console and took care of the rest of the electronic clamoring. Pidge and Hunk could be heard over the comms and Coran assured them they weren’t under attack and the issues were being addressed.

Lance tipped his head up to look at Allura and his face was one of pure relief boxed into a smile.

“Why are you making that goofy face at me?”

“He’s happy.” Shiro chuckled.

“And relieved.” Coran folded his hands behind his back and joined them, “No surprise there. He’s been a bag of worry worms since they got back. Probably a great feeling to shed the burden.”

_ Shed the burden _ . Lance breathed a laugh as he looked down at the weary assemblage of limbs hanging all over him. He cradled the side of Keith’s face and those eyes he knew so well opened. They regarded him with a sleepy sort of warmth and a flame of gratitude soothed them both from the inside.

“They have no idea.” Lance pressed their foreheads together but it was Keith who mentally beckoned for more.  Lance descended until their mouths pressed together in a delicate, full kiss.

“Oh.” Allura took one step back, “Oh my.”

“It’s alright.” Coran assured her, “These two are having an emotional reunion no doubt. Best we leave them to it.”

“Whoa. Dude.” Hunk elbowed Pidge as they entered.

“Oh. They’re finally out?” Pidge adjusted her glasses, “That’s good.”

“Wait.” Shiro smiled, “You knew?”

“I thought it was kinda obvious. At a certain point banter like theirs is less banter and more flirting. Also, when they do argue it’s either like children or an old married couple.”

“ _ Ohhhhh _ .” Hunk’s face was graced by an epiphany, “Now that you say it - yeah. I see it.”

Allura still appeared confused as she asked, “I’m not sure I’m getting it. What do you mean ‘they’re out’?”

Shiro put a hand on her shoulder and guided her toward the entrance, “It’s an Earth phrase. I’ll explain.” They disappeared into the dim hall a moment after Allura glanced back to see Lance commanding a kiss with leadership she’d never seen in him.

Coran clapped his hands together to gain Pidge and Hunk’s attention.

“Alright, that’s enough. Everything is fine now. The lions are fine. The ship is fine. Lance is fine. Keith is fine and finally done healing. Back to bed with you two. You can catch up with each other over breakfast.”

Hunk expressed his disappointment in an ‘awwwww’ but relented and exited with a smiling Pidge as Coran herded them out and through the hall.

The kiss met a slow demise as Lance drew back. His smile reflected his spirit and he scrunched that mass of dark hair like he always did.

“You busted out of that pod early. Think you’re done healing?”

“Done enough. You owe me a substantial amount of kissing.”

“That’s the kind of debt I like to have. How many would you like to order and how do you want them?”

“Carry me to your room. We’ll sort it out there.”

Lance donned an eccentric voice and hefted him bridal style, “But of course, Prince Keith. Your every wish is my command.”

“Every wish?”

“Within reason now, man.”

With a smile Keith tipped his head onto Lance’s shoulder and let his hopes, his desires, and the peacefulness he was feeling flow across their bridge.

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

 

The sheets whispered over Lance’s bare skin as he rose to a forearm. Beside him Keith was face down with his arms beneath a pillow. Despite the brightness of the room signaling resting hours were long over they had not been disturbed.

Lance’s face smoothed into a fond smile and he petted through Keith’s messy black hair, still the barest bit damp from their early shower, and stroked down his naked back. The skin beckoned him to lean over and place a kiss to the center of his spine. There, he inhaled the warm-soft scent that still lingered with soap and felt the unconscious bump of Keith’s mind against his. His fondness twined in and around Keith until it swaddled every corner.

These were the moments Lance lived for. They were moments when Keith’s emotions surged in response to his own and flooded him with a familiar achy sort of appreciation and love. And it made Lance almost drunk feeling, like he was choking on those emotions in the best way possible.

He pressed himself to the length of Keith and let their bodies attempt to mirror their minds but knew a physical plane could never match how their minds bent in and around each other. It was a different kind of intimacy, but that didn’t lessen it.

His thoughts tracked backwards and replayed memories of their joining in such detail he swore he could smell it all over again. Remembering the glide of Keith’s skin over his, wet from a hurried shower and mixed with sweat, made him draw a deep inhale. Their lovemaking had been a perfect disaster of needy kisses and touches. Keith was noisy,  _ demanding _ , and he had scratched Lance all over exactly the way he liked it. In return he’d littered Keith in bites and kisses that bruised.

The evidence of their roughness was glaring up both sides of Keith’s neck, up under his jaw at the back below his ear, and across his shoulders. Lance felt a little guilty knowing it wasn’t realistic to try and cover them all with clothing.

Still, Lance didn’t regret leaving the herd of little marks. He had never been able to in the past for fear of outing them. Now? Now they had no secrets and it was freeing. He inhaled and his heart felt like it was about to burst.

Keith’s consciousness bumped against his again, this time stronger, and came into greater focus and control as he roused. 

Keith made a quiet sound that balanced between enjoyment and fussiness.

“Sorry.” Lance kissed his cheek, “Oh god I’m so sorry but if you could see your face right now you’d understaaaand.”

There were several moments of grimacing and fidgeting as Keith wrestled with the reality of being awake when he otherwise would have been asleep.

Lance whispered, “Forgive me.”

Keith reached up and behind to sink his fingers into Lance’s hair, “I appreciate when you let me know how you feel about me, but can you love me a little less intensely while I’m sleeping?”

Lance’s chuckle was soft, “I’ll try and do better in the future.”

Keith stretched in place and squirmed, rubbing his face into his pillow with a weak groan.

“Oh you are so tired. I can get out of here and let you sleep.”

“Mmph.” Keith’s hand fell to the bed, “S’too late. I’m awake.”

Lance rose to his forearms and knees over him but dipped his head to kiss between shoulder blades, “Can I make it up to you?”

Keith sighed and it was a pleasant sound, “Have breakfast with me?”

“Mm, definitely. But just so you know you look like someone painted leopard print on you.”

Keith’s hand went to his neck and he huffed, “Fuck it. Doesn’t matter. They already know.”

 

\-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

 

Lance caught himself smiling. Keith was sitting at the island counter in the mess hall clad in his pajamas, hair sleep-tousled, and munching on what was the equivalent to bran flake cereal.

It wasn’t the act of eating cereal that made Lance smile. It was the look on Keith’s face that said he was still tinged with sleepiness. The room was quiet minus the crunch-crunch of their breakfast creating a chorus in their heads. They weren’t mentally linked as they ate. Sometimes it was nice to be left to their own thoughts. Free of distraction, as Keith had once said.

Lance poured more flakes into his bowl to even out the flake to milk substitute ratio. His smile stretched when Keith, who was focused on nothing in particular, scowled in deep thought. Lance wanted to bridge with him just so he could understand what the face was for but he resisted to let Keith have his thinking time.

The marks dotting Keith’s neck were far enough over his throat his hair couldn’t hide them. Every bruise was a reminder of their late night and early morning and Lance was sensing a swell of fondness inside himself. He shook his head, suppressing a chuckle, and went back to his cereal before he turned into anymore of a twitterpated crash site.

Keith spoke up around a partial mouthful, “That was the best sex we’ve ever had.”

Lance looked up but Keith was still focused on something invisible in the distance. He relaxed, setting his spoon down and folding his arms on the counter, and waited with a serene smile.

Keith turned to him, “What?”

“Nothing,” Lance flashed a palm at him, “I agree. I completely agree. I had been wondering why you were making that face. Now I know.”

“What kind of face was I making?”

“One like this.” Lance did an exaggerated impression of what he’d witnessed.

Keith snorted and laughed out loud, “You look ridiculous. I do not look like that when thinking.”

“Sure you do.”

“Hey guys!” They were interrupted as Hunk walked in, “How’s it going?”

“Heeeey.” Lance stood from where he was leaning on the counter, “Going good. Finally getting some real food in this guy.”

Pidge and Shiro entered next. Keith waved at them with his spoon.

“Guys should have said something. I could have made you breakfast.” Hunk went over to dig through the pantry, “Pidge, what are you in the mood for?”

“Something spicy.” She hopped onto the stool beside Keith and leaned around to look at his neck, “Somebody had a good morning. Man you look tired.”

Shiro stood beside Lance and directed a question at him, “Not holding back anymore, are you?”

“Hah!” Lance elbowed him, “Can you really blame us? A near death experience tends to make you rethink your priorities in life. Turns out keeping our extracurricular activities completely secret isn’t something that should take priority.”

“Good point.”

From behind them Hunk spoke, “Oh-ho you guys are gonna love this. We’ve got those new spices from the last couple planets we saved and I’m gonna make something amazing. Keith, Lance, you guys still hungry enough to eat?”

Keith blurted, “I’m starving. Do you need help? I can help.” The stool squeaked as he stood but Pidge put a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy. I’ll help him. You just sit tight and take it easy.” Pidge slipped from the counter and went to assist.

Keith sat back down.

“Look at those puppydog eyes.”

Keith looked up at Shiro, who had spoken.

“What?” He was confused.

“I know, right?” Lance crossed his arms, “Gets ya right here.” He tapped a closed fist over his heart.

“I’m…” Keith’s expression firmed, “I do not have puppydog eyes.”

From behind them, Pidge and Hunk spoke in unison, “Do too.”

Keith’s face morphed into surprised disbelief and Lance walked around the island to stand beside him.

“See? You do.” He leaned down and tugged him close to place a kiss against his temple, “But we like that about you.”

“It’s true,” Hunk added, “it’s been our source of heartwarming moments all these years.”

“Alright, alright.” Keith shook his head and smiled, “I have puppydog eyes.”

They switched to chatter about Blue and Red until the food was ready.

“Spicier next time, Hunk! Spicier!” Pidge teased but gave him a thumbs up on the dish.

Lance had reclaimed his place across the counter from Keith and had Shiro beside him for company. Hunk and Pidge flanked Keith and talked back and forth as he ate.

Keith swallowed the last bite of his third serving and sighed, finally full.

“More? Or you good?” Lance gestured to Keith’s plate.

“I’m okay.”

Hunk made a considering noise, “Mh, no. I don’t think so. You’re still too skinny.”

“He’s always skinny.” Pidge added.

“Exactly my point. I think he wants more.”

“He had cereal earlier, too.”

“Oh I forgot about that.”

Keith was smiling as he looked up at Lance, who was taking his plate for him. He didn’t look away even as Hunk got up, ruffled his hair, and gathered the rest of the empty plates to take to the wash. In Lance’s eyes he saw a warmth he knew well. He didn’t need to bridge their minds to know it was there right now, telling him he was loved and appreciated.

These people were the family he never had as a child. In him they spurred a sense of belonging. It was something that he reflected on occasionally just to savor.

He was tired and his eyes and body language were giving him away. He yawned.

“Lance, you should get him tucked in. Not sure he’ll make it to a bed on his own.” Shiro nodded in Keith’s direction and began wiping the counter clean.

“Ten-four, cappy-tan.” Lance mock saluted and Keith was up and walking through the halls before he really registered he was moving.

They returned to Lance’s room, as Keith always preferred to invade his space. He walked directly to the bed and curled up as Lance went about pulling on more appropriate clothing for the day in preparation of assisting with Red.

Keith was nodding off when the bed sunk and Lance sat beside him. His hair was stroked and he inhaled long and deep when fingers scratched his scalp.

“Hey,” Lance’s voice was quiet, “I’m going to have Red up and running for you by the time you’re feeling rested. Something to look forward to, yeah?”

Keith didn’t have any words to say, but he did roll onto his back and pull Lance into a kiss. Their minds brushed, an automatic response to a kiss, and Keith drank in the pure adoration Lance was sending his way.

Lance cupped his face and deepened their kiss. His tongue darted out to taste the unique spices from their meal lingering on Keith’s lips. It caused the tiniest burning sensation.

As they parted Lance clonked his forehead to Keith’s and smiled, “I’ll get the lights. You sleep well.”

“Mm.” Keith settled as he was covered in a blanket and allowed to continue his rest.

Lance grabbed his jacket off a chair and stood in the doorway to look at Keith. As he dimmed the lights he smiled. He couldn’t help but find the lingering taste of spices was fitting for someone fiery like Keith.

 

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8.7.2016

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klance is all well and great but you know what I really wanna see? More Sendak and Haxus (Saxus? Haxdak?). I really liked Haxus. I’d like him to magically appear in season 2. My fingers are crossed, guys. He was a cool, capable dude.  
> I hope you enjoyed my first dip into the Voltron fandom.

**Author's Note:**

> I watched Voltron over the course of about 4 or 5 days and it became my personal headcannon that Keith just really wants to be friends with Lance. But Lance is Lance and he can really frustrate everyone and especially someone as quick to ignite as Keith. Despite this, in my mind Keith still wants to be his friend. It was the reoccurring puppydog look that did it along with the 'I cradled you in my arms!' moment. So I took that headcannon and escalated it into something more than friendly.


End file.
